Department for Transport

Railways

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government in their assessment of the need for new high speed rail services what weighting they are giving to improving passenger services between the north east and the south west of England.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As the HS2 scheme has developed, HS2 Ltd have examined a variety of potential train services and infrastructure configurations. This has included looking at the case for running services from the North East to the South West. Passengers travelling from the north east of England to the south west will generally benefit from HS2 by a reduction in travel times for journeys.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to minimise the risk to aircraft from the use of drones, and whether those steps include a system of registration of ownership.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Drones are becoming increasingly popular and have the potential to bring significant economic benefits, but it is vital that they are operated safely, in a way that does not put members of the public and other aircraft at risk. There are existing regulations in place that require users of drones to maintain direct, unaided visual contact with their vehicle and to not recklessly or negligently cause or permit an aircraft to endanger any person or property. Work is underway to better understand the level of risk posed by flying drones close to commercial planes. We are talking to both the Civil Aviation Authority and airports to find technical solutions to the problems around airport, these include mandated geo-fencing or frequency jammers. The department is leading efforts with international bodies to develop a stringent regulatory framework focusing on safety. We are currently undertaking public dialogues ahead of a public consultation which will help to inform a government strategy to be published this year. The consultation will look at a range of options including regulation, registration and licensing options and a database to increase transparency on the use of drones for the general public. The Civil Aviation Authority is undertaking activities to raise awareness of the basic safety requirements, including an ongoing ‘Dronecode’ safety awareness campaign, issuing safety leaflets at the point of sale, publishing an animated video on their website, and running ‘small UAS’ Risk and Hazard workshops with industry as part of the Mid Air Collision Programme.

Railways: Devon

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 28 January (HL Deb, col 1405), what is the estimated cost of the next two years’ work by Network Rail that has now been cancelled on (1) the stabilisation of the cliff between Parsons and Teignmouth, and (2) breakwaters, groynes and revetments in the Dawlish area; and what are the new estimated completion dates for those works.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: No work on this study has been cancelled. Network Rail is currently progressing the Exeter to Newton Abbot geo-environmental study on the existing route via Dawlish to explore options which will reduce the chances of future route failure. The work will produce a short-list of options for further strengthening of the existing railway from Control Period 6 (CP6) (2019 to 2024) and beyond. It is due to be fully complete in May 2016 and will feed into the funding deliberations for CP6 and beyond. Plans for Control Period 6 will be defined through the standard industry planning processes. These will take into account the recommendations of the Bowe and Shaw reviews and the re-profiling carried out by Sir Peter Hendy, along with the views of both PRTF and Network Rail .This process is led by Network Rail, with input from a wide range of stakeholders and funders, and covers the needs of each 5-year Rail Investment Strategy (RIS) with consideration of longer term requirements up to 2043.

Railways: Repairs and Maintenance

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any acknowledgement of the achievement by Network Rail in completing successfully over 99 per cent of its Christmas and New Year programme of 500 projects without impact on passengers.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, has indeed acknowledged the achievements of Network Rail over the Christmas period on no less than three separate occasions.Network Rail issued a press release on 4 January in which my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Transport stated: "Network Rail and the operators have delivered essential improvements to the rail network over the Christmas period. These are crucial for providing better journeys for passengers, progressing key projects such as Crossrail and the Thameslink Programme and nearly £100m of improvements in Lincolnshire, as part of our record investment in the railways. I welcome the news that this has been completed on time. I would like to thank passengers for their patience, and pay tribute to the men and women who have been working in challenging weather conditions for much of the time." On 19 January my Rt Hon Friend informed the other place: “Over the Christmas period, Network Rail also successfully carried out its biggest ever works as part of the railway upgrade plan that is so essential to the future of the British rail industry. I pay tribute to the thousands of staff who gave up their Christmas to improve our railways.” And on 28 January my Rt Hon Friend remarked in the other place: “I pay tribute to Network Rail and its hard-working orange army of more than 20,000 staff who successfully delivered £150 million of essential improvements to the network over the holiday period, as part of our record programme of investment in the railways. Planning for Easter is well advanced, and the good practice demonstrated over Christmas is being embedded in the planning process for Easter and beyond.”

Roads: Accidents

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many deceased cats and dogs have been collected and identified by Highways England since the Department for Transport committed in March 2015 to ensure that it is mandatory for all new and existing contractors to collect and identify cats and dogs killed on the strategic road network.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Backbench Business Committee Debate on 2 March 2015, considered legislating collection and identification of pet fatalities on the strategic road network (SRN). During the debate key commitments were made to immediately make the necessary arrangements to ensure it is mandatory for all new contracts to collect and identify dogs and cats killed on the strategic road network and contact their owners, where possible, and to review how to retrofit the requirements to existing contracts. The review was completed in September 2015. Mandatory instructions were issued to Highways England service providers in October 2015. Since this time there have been the following dog and cat fatalities on the strategic road network: From October 2015Number of fatalitiesNumber identifiedDogs3914Cats422 Service Providers are required to make a search for a collar or disc at the incident sites. Where the owner’s details are found on a collar and/or disc, the remains are bagged, separate from any debris, taken to the depot and the owner notified as soon as possible to be given the option of collecting their pet. Where no collar/disc is found the entire body is scanned for microchips. Any positive identification is recorded and the appropriate identification body is informed (eg PetLog). If remains cannot be positively identified they are cold-stored, where facilities are available, for at least seven days or until the cold store is due to be emptied, whichever is sooner. If no owner has come forward at the end of the seven-day period, the remains are disposed of. Due to the high speed nature of the SRN it is impossible to guarantee that remains can be fully identified e.g. the microchip may have been lost in the collision. In this case, if the remains can be identified as a dog or cat, they are cold stored and as much information as possible is recorded.

Roads: Accidents

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many local authorities routinely scan pet cats and dogs that are the victims of road traffic accidents on local roads and where possible contact their owners.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government recognises the distress of owners who lose a beloved pet. The main focus for this Government is to continue to ensure we reduce road casualties and improve road safety. By doing this it is hoped that we can make our roads safer for all users, as well as reducing the risks to all animals. It is the Government position that it is best practice to scan deceased pets found on the local highway. Some local authorities do endeavour to identify the owners if the pet has a collar or microchip and we encourage others to adopt the same practice. On 26 March 2015 the then Minister for Roads, Rt. Hon. John Hayes MP, wrote to all local highway authorities recommending that they consider scanning any deceased cats or dogs found on the public highway for which they are responsible as a matter of standard practice. It is, however, for each local highway authority to determine how any deceased animals found on the roads are handled and the Department for Transport does not collect information on how many undertake scanning.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take for the protection of air passengers following the recent report of the UK Airprox Board of four near-miss incidents involving drones at UK airports.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The safety of the public is of the uttermost importance to the Government and whilst I recognise the potential significant economic benefits that drones can have to the UK, it is vital that they are operated safely and in a way that does not put members of the public and other aircraft at risk. There are existing regulations for users of small unmanned aerial vehicles. Article 166 of the UK Air Navigation order 2009 (ANO) requires operators of small unmanned aircraft to maintain direct, unaided visual contact with the aircraft sufficient to monitor its flight path in relation to other aircraft, persons, vehicles, vessels and structures for the purposes of avoiding collisions. It also states that an operator may only fly the aircraft if they are reasonably satisfied that the flight can safely be made. In addition, Article 138 of the ANO 2009, which also applies to small unmanned aircraft, states that “a person must not recklessly or negligently cause or permit an aircraft to endanger any person or property. This includes persons within another aircraft, and of course the aircraft that those persons are within. We are talking to both the Civil Aviation Authority and airports to find technical solutions to the problems around airport, these include mandated geo-fencing or frequency jammers. The Civil Aviation Authority is undertaking activities to raise awareness of the basic safety requirements, including an ongoing ‘Dronecode’ safety awareness campaign, issuing safety leaflets at the point of sale, publishing an animated video on their website, and running ‘small UAS’ Risk and Hazard workshops with industry as part of the Mid Air Collision Programme. The department is leading efforts with international bodies to develop a stringent regulatory framework focusing on safety. We are currently undertaking public dialogues ahead of a public consultation which will help to inform a government strategy to be published this year. The consultation will look at a range of options including regulation, registration and licensing options and a database to increase transparency on the use of drones for the general public.

Gatwick Express Railway Line

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the latest National Rail Passenger Survey and the levels of satisfaction with the Gatwick Express service, what steps they plan to take to ensure that service improves.

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take to improve customer satisfaction with South Eastern, Southern, and Govia Thameslink train services, and whether they have plans to take over any of those franchises.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: It is for the operators of the relevant franchises to take steps to improve customer satisfaction and deliver the requirements set out in their respective Franchise Agreements. Gatwick Express and Southern are operated as part of the Thameslink Southern and Great Northern franchise operated by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR). The Franchise Agreement includes a Passenger Experience Metric which was developed for this franchise to measure, reward and incentivise good levels of customer satisfaction. GTR failed to meet its benchmark for cancellations set out in its Franchise Agreement. In order to address the poor performance, the Department issued GTR with a Remedial Plan Notice that requires them to set out the measures they will take to improve their performance. GTR submitted its Remedial Plan and discussions are on-going to ensure the plan is robust. Once the measures are agreed they will become contractually binding through a Remedial Agreement. This year GTR will introduce new trains on the Gatwick Express service, replacing the current 25-year-old trains with a fleet better suited to the needs of airport passengers. The Southeastern franchise includes a financial penalty regime if the operator does not achieve the National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS) benchmarks for stations, train services and customer service. We will review performance against these benchmarks in March 2016, and any penalties incurred must be re-invested into raising passenger satisfaction, with plans agreed by the Department. The Department has no plans to take over either of these franchises.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Lord Hoyle: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what role Network Rail has in the HS2 project, and whether it will have a role in deciding where the steel required for that project should be purchased from.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Network Rail will be responsible for undertaking works on their network where they interact with the HS2 network. The materials used for such works will be subject to future procurements. However, currently, around 95% of Network Rail’s total aggregated demand for steel is procured from Tata steel.

London Airports

Baroness Valentine: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 14 December 2015 (HL Deb, col 1885) on aviation capacity, what additional work is now being undertaken on (1) air quality, (2) noise, (3) carbon emissions, (4) surface access to airports, (5) managing the wider impacts of airports on local communities, and (6) the funding and financing of new runways; and when this work will be complete.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are testing the Airports Commission’s work on air quality further against the Government’s new air quality plan, as recommended by the Environmental Audit Committee. This is additional work to test compliance, and build confidence that expansion can take place within legal limits. The further work on air quality is only one element of a wider package of further work. We are dealing with concerns about noise to get the best outcome for residents, and doing more work on carbon to address concerns on sustainability, particularly during construction. We want to make sure that communities get the best possible mitigation deal. In addition, we are doing due diligence on the plans for surface access to the airports by talking to both the promoters and the key delivery bodies. We are also carrying out extra assurance to assess the runways’ potential both locally and nationally so it can deliver more jobs, more growth and more apprenticeships. On funding and financing, the Airports Commission has provided an extensive examination of the costs, financing, and commercial viability of airport expansion. The Airports Commission and the scheme promoters have made it clear that new runway capacity will be privately delivered and financed. We anticipate that all this further work will conclude over the summer.

Home Office

Licensed Premises: Arrests

Lord Smith of Hindhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many arrests were made in 2015 within establishments that hold a premises licence as defined under Part 3 of the Licensing Act 2003.

Lord Smith of Hindhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times police were called to attend an incident in 2015 to establishments operating under a premises licence as defined under Part 3 of the Licensing Act 2003.

Lord Smith of Hindhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many arrests were made in 2015 within establishments operating under a club premises certificate as defined under Part 4 of the Licensing Act 2003.

Lord Smith of Hindhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times police were called to attend an incident in 2015 to establishments operating under a club premises certificate as defined under Part 4 of the Licensing Act 2003.

Lord Bates: The Home Office does not hold data centrally on the number of arrests made in establishments operating under a premises licence or under a club premises certificate, or the number of arrests under the Licensing Act 2003.The Home Office collects data on the number of arrests broken down by offence group and police force area. This data cannot be broken down to the level of detail requested.The Home Office does not hold data centrally on the number of times the police were called to attend an incident at establishments operating under a premises licence or under a club premises certificate.

Asylum: Cardiff

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Bates on 28 January (HL Deb, col 1408), when Cardiff Council last inspected Lynx House; whether a written report was produced; and whether asylum seekers were required to wear red wristbands at the time of that inspection.

Lord Bates: Cardiff Council Environmental Health officers conducted a routine check of food hygiene matters on 26th January 2016.Cardiff Council Housing Enforcement officers also inspected Lynx House premises on 2nd February 2016. We understand that a report will be produced and shared with both the accommodation provider and the Home Office in due course. Home Office can confirm that the requirement for asylum seekers accommodated in Lynx House to wear wristbands in order to access meals ended on 25 January.

HM Treasury

Multinational Companies: Taxation

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what legal powers the EU has to intervene in the taxation arrangements agreed between HM Treasury and foreign-based firms, including Google, and what assessment they have made of whether HMRC could legally co-operate in any such EU action.

Lord O'Neill of Gatley: While corporate taxation is a matter for Member States, under the EU Treaties the European Commission has competence to conduct State aid investigations in order to prevent unlawful distortion of competition and to safeguard the internal market. Member State authorities are required to cooperate with any such investigations.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Yemen: Armed Conflict

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the draft report by the UN panel of experts on Yemen, which documents major violations of international humanitarian law by all sides to the Yemen conflict, including the Saudi-led coalition.

Earl of Courtown: Although this is a leaked document, we are aware of the report which has not yet been published, and are looking at the conclusions carefully. We recognise the importance of the work of the UN Panel of Experts and take the allegations raised in the report seriously. The Ministry of Defence monitors incidents of alleged International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations using available information which in turn informs our overall assessment of IHL compliance in Yemen.

Islamic State

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the French Prime Minster concerning his recent statement that total, global and ruthless war must be conducted against Daesh; and whether he considers that total war would require the deployment of ground troops.

Earl of Courtown: The British Government shares a commitment with the Government of France to comprehensively defeat Daesh, and we are determined to work together to this end as part of an international coalition, as demonstrated by UN Security Council resolutions 2249 and 2254, amongst others. We continue to work very closely with the French government in a number of areas in order to coordinate as effectively as possible the international effort to degrade and defeat Daesh. France is one of our closest and most valued partners in the Global Counter-Daesh Coalition. We frequently discuss cooperation against Daesh with a range of French colleagues. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), met the French Foreign Minister in Rome on 2 February and discussed the campaign against Daesh and counter terrorism, amongst other issues. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), has said that the UK will not deploy troops in ground combat operations. We and our Coalition partners, including France, have been clear that defeating Daesh in Syria and Iraq will not be achieved by the large scale deployment of foreign ground troops.

Burundi: Civil Disorder

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of recent civil disturbances in Burundi on livelihoods and resilience and the role of the African Union and the East African Community in providing peace, reconciliation and economic growth in Burundi.

Earl of Courtown: The UK is deeply concerned by the situation in Burundi. The recent civil disturbances have led to the flight of over 234,000 refugees to neighbouring countries. There are an additional 15,000 internally displaced people. The UN reports that 36 per cent of houses are now food insecure, with 7 per cent severely food insecure. This has a devastating impact on the livelihoods of those individuals and the resilience of those left behind to further confrontation and economic hardship. The East African Community (EAC) has mandated Uganda to facilitate a dialogue between the various parties in Burundi. Leadership from the EAC is important in securing peace and reconciliation. The UK strongly supports the EAC-led dialogue but insufficient progress has been made so far. The parties met for the first time on 28 December, but the Government of Burundi is refusing to engage with the opposition so no date can be set for a second round of talks. We continue to press the Government of Burundi to engage fully in talks. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), visited Burundi in mid-December 2015 where he pressed the government to engage in inclusive dialogue to end the violence. He again pressed the Foreign Minister for action when they met at the recent African Union (AU) Summit. The summit also provided an opportunity to lobby a range of AU members on the importance of regional leadership in resolving the situation in Burundi. Until there is peace and reconciliation, there will be limited opportunity to successfully support economic growth in Burundi, which has collapsed since the start of the crisis.

Burundi: Rule of Law

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the state of the rule of law in Burundi, the need for security sector reform and the role of development assistance in addressing any deficits in this regard.

Earl of Courtown: The UK is deeply concerned by the situation in Burundi. At least 130 people were killed in December 2015 alone. We are aware of 250 cases of torture/ill treatment and 13 documented cases of sexual violence. The UK has also been deeply concerned to hear of allegations that the police and the Burundian ruling party’s youth league are involved in the violence, including sexual violence. These reports demonstrate that the rule of law is in a fragile state in Burundi. Given this, there is a critical need for security sector reform (SSR) in Burundi. The African Union (AU) has authorised a protection mission to Burundi if Burundian consent is obtained. If the mission is deployed the UK will provide financial and logistical support. However, the UK’s current focus is to see progress in the Ugandan-mediated East African Community dialogue. Without dialogue, SSR will bear little fruit. The UK does not currently have a bilateral aid programme with Burundi; however, the Department for International Development is providing £18.15 million to support Burundian refugees in the region, making the UK the second largest contributor to the humanitarian effort after the US. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), visited Burundi in mid-December 2015 where he pressed the Government to engage in inclusive dialogue to end the violence. He again pressed the Foreign Minister for action when they met at the recent AU Summit. The summit also provided an opportunity to lobby a range of AU members on the importance of regional leadership in resolving the situation in Burundi.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Living Wage

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have labelled the national minimum wage of £7.20 an hour as "the national living wage" when it falls below the UK Living Wage and London Living Wage set by the Living Wage Foundation.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The National Living Wage will come into force on 1 April 2016. We estimate that a full-time National Minimum Wage worker will earn over £4,400 more by 2020 from the National Living Wage in cash terms. This Government is committed to improving living standards, particularly for the low paid. Guided by a proportion of median earnings which leading experts recommend, the National Living Wage recognizes the balance needed of an affordable rate for businesses with achieving a significant increase in minimum pay. The Low Pay Commission will continue to make recommendations on the appropriate rate for the National Living Wage going forward, to make sure that wages rise to reward workers while considering the impact on the economy.

Department for International Development

Syria: Overseas Aid

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what specific engagement they have had with the besieged people of the Syrian town of Madaya.

Baroness Verma: The "Supporting Syria and the Region London 2016" Conference was held on 4 February last week, and more than US$11 billion was pledged to support people in Syria and the region affected by the conflict, the largest amount raised in one day for a humanitarian crisis. Commitments made at the Conference will help to create 1.1 million jobs and provide education to an additional 1 million children. The UK remains at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have doubled our commitment and have now pledged a total more than £2.3 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis.On 11 January, the UN, Red Cross and Syrian Arab Red Crescent confirmed aid convoys had arrived in the hard to reach towns of Madaya, Foah and Kefraya. Further convoys have since arrived. These convoys are expected to enable 40,000 people inside Madaya, and 20,000 people inside Foah and Kefraya, to survive. UK funding to UN agencies directly supported these convoys with food parcels and medicine. This is part of the UK’s ongoing support to the UN and international NGOs since the start of the conflict to deliver aid in hard to reach and besieged areas of Syria.The UN, the Red Cross Movement and NGO partners are best placed to deliver aid to besieged and hard to reach areas. They have the mandate, expertise and capacity to assess needs and deliver an appropriate, timely response. We continue to press for them to be granted full access to all areas in need.We will not stop in our efforts, whether through hard work on a political solution that will deal with the root cause of the problem or through humanitarian efforts, which provide immediate, life-saving relief. The shocking situation in hard to reach and besieged areas underlines the vital work of aid agencies and shows how important it is that they have the assurance of knowing that they have the resources to keep going.

Syria: International Assistance

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what specific goals they wish to achieve from the Syria Donors Conference taking place in London in February.

Baroness Verma: The "Supporting Syria and the Region London 2016" Conference was held on 4 February last week, and more than US$11 billion was pledged to support people in Syria and the region affected by the conflict, the largest amount raised in one day for a humanitarian crisis.Commitments made at the Conference will help to create 1.1 million jobs and provide education to an additional 1 million children. The UK remains at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have doubled our commitment and have now pledged a total of over £2.3 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. The outcomes of the conference are reflected in the Co-hosts' statement available on the Conference website.

Burundi: Humanitarian Aid

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the need for humanitarian assistance in Burundi and the potential role of the churches in meeting the needs of Burundian refugees and internally displaced persons.

Baroness Verma: The UK is gravely concerned about the ongoing political and human rights crisis in Burundi. Reported abuses by security forces against civilians are deplorable. All allegations should be investigated and those responsible held accountable. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights pointed at increasing signs of ethnic targeting which is very concerning and is being monitored. DFID is coordinating closely with the Foreign Office on the situation as well as with international partners including the African Union.The humanitarian situation in Burundi itself is not critical at this stage, but it remains fragile and will deteriorate as long as the political crisis continues. DFID will continue to assess whether humanitarian assistance is required within the country. At the same time, our teams in Tanzania, Rwanda, the DRC and Uganda, are working hard providing humanitarian support to Burundian refugees. The UK has committed £18.15 million for the refugee response being led by UN agencies, such as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP), and international NGOs. This funding includes £14.25 million to support refugees in Tanzania, and £3.9 million to support refugees in Rwanda. We are keeping our funding levels under constant review according to need. We have deployed a humanitarian adviser to the region to support the regional refugee response and we have provided technical support, in the form of secondment of experts, to support UN agencies working in Burundi. This includes support to the UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) to strengthen humanitarian coordination in Burundi.DFID recognises that churches and faith groups can have great legitimacy and a wide reach, and therefore can make an important contribution to both refugees and internally displaced persons.

Burundi: International Assistance

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their contribution to multilateral development assistance to Burundi; and what is their assessment of the impact of this funding.

Baroness Verma: The UK’s imputed share of multilateral net ODA to Burundi was £28.7 million in 2013, the latest year for which figures are available. DFID selects its partners on the basis of their ability to spend funds where they will have the greatest impact and DFID has rigorous systems in place to ensure that funds are spent effectively. The World Bank, for example, has a country-level results framework to track and manage progress and impact; currently over two-thirds of the outcome indicators for Burundi have already been achieved or are on-track to being achieved.In addition to core funding to multilaterals, DFID also provides resources for multilateral organisations through bilateral and central programmes. A preparedness programme has enabled the UN and World Food Programme to assist up to 10,000 people in Burundi and to strengthen humanitarian coordination. Since the start of the crisis DFID has contributed £21 million to support the regional refugee response and DFID’s contribution to the Central Emergency Response Fund in Burundi is in excess of £2 million in 2016.DFID is working with the EU, international financial institutions, UN Agencies and NGO community to review their support to Burundi and to ensure that humanitarian needs are met. DFID has a humanitarian adviser based in the region as well as advisers in the UK monitoring the situation in Burundi and ensuring that DFID funds are being spent in a way that achieves value for money for the UK taxpayer

Syria: Refugees

Baroness Uddin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to encourage countries hosting Syrian refugees in the region to allow non-governmental organisations to provide non-formal education opportunities.

Baroness Verma: The UK remains at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have doubled our commitment and have now pledged a total of more than £2.3 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. The UK is funding Non-Formal Education via UNICEF in Jordan and Lebanon which is implemented by national non-governmental organisations.We helped launch and mobilise international support for the No Lost Generation Initiative. The aim of Initiative is to improve quality formal and non-formal learning opportunities for children that are out of school. As part of this support, the UK has allocated £115 million to provide protection, psychosocial support and education for children affected by the crisis in Syria and the region. As a result over 251,000 children have received formal and informal education inside Syria and in the region.At the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference in London on 4 February, leaders came together to pledge more than $11 billion, the largest amount raised in one day for a humanitarian crisis. On education, leaders committed that by the end of the 2016/17 school year, 1.7 million children – all refugee children and vulnerable children in host communities – will be in quality education with equal access for girls and boys. This includes enrolment in either a formal school or a non-formal, informal or other alternative education programme that meets national or international standards.

Syria: Refugees

Baroness Uddin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to ensure that teachers, including refugee teachers, are paid appropriate wages and receive appropriate training and support in countries hosting Syrian refugees in the region.

Baroness Verma: The UK remains at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have doubled our commitment and have now pledged a total of over £2.3 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis.DFID is not currently financing public sector teachers’ salaries directly in Lebanon or Jordan. However, we helped launch and mobilise international support for the No Lost Generation Initiative. As part of this support, the UK has allocated £115 million to provide protection, psychosocial support and education for children affected by the crisis in Syria and the region. As a result over 251,000 children have received formal and informal education inside Syria and in the region. We are working to ensure that each host government considers where and when they can employ and fairly compensate Syrian teachers under their national legal and policy frameworks for both education and jobs.In Lebanon, DFID is investing £21 million in the World Bank managed Emergency Education System Stabilisation Programme and an additional £1.3 million for the Research for Results: Lebanon Education System Improvement Programme. These programmes support the Government of Lebanon to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its education system including their public expenditure on teachers.At the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference we co-hosted in London, leaders came together to pledge more than $11 billion, the largest amount raised in one day for a humanitarian crisis. On education, the UK and co-hosts worked with donors and other partners to secure increased funding for education under the UN-led appeals for 2016 and longer term, multi-year education funding commitments to ensure sustainability. Commitments made at the Conference will help to create 1.1 million jobs and provide education to an additional 1 million children.We continue to work with refugee hosting governments, in particular, to agree the policy commitments necessary to turn increased funding into delivery on the ground. This includes a regional policy dialogue on integrating refugee teachers into national education systems, where possible.

Department for Education

Technology

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the global economy of gender equality in the technology sector.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The technology industry contributes over £91 billion to the UK economy and forecasts show the number of tech specialists in the UK will increase from 1.2m in 2014 to 1.6m in 2024. However, women only make up 17% of the current tech specialist workforce.That is why the Government is supporting independent campaigns such as Your Life and #notjustforboys which inspire girls to consider STEM careers. Top graduates are being recruited into teaching through bursaries and scholarships in mathematics and the sciences and over the next 5 years up to 2,500 additional teachers will be trained in maths and physics. Since 2010, the Government’s plan for education has resulted in 12,000 more STEM A level entries for women.Increasing the number of women in the tech sector will not only be good for women, who will benefit from rewarding and interesting careers, but it will also benefit the businesses they work for, improving both profits and the quality of decision making.This government is committed to encouraging women and girls to consider STEM careers and on International Women’s Day, we will be convening a Round Table with key stakeholders from industry, academia and government to agree what more we can take collectively to increase the number of women in digital roles.

Children: Education

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what safeguards are in place to prevent children either never going to school or going missing from school.

Lord Nash: The law provides a number of safeguards to ensure that all children receive a suitable full-time education. These are set out in Chapters I and II of Part VI of the Education Act 1996, and include:a duty on local authorities to make arrangements to establish, as far as it is possible to do so, the identities of children of compulsory school age in their area who are not receiving suitable education (Section 436A);a duty on local authorities to arrange suitable education for all children of compulsory school age who may not for any period receive it, unless such arrangements are made for them (Section 19);a duty on parents to ensure that their child of compulsory school age is receiving suitable full-time education, either at school or otherwise (Section 7);provision for a local authority to issue a School Attendance Order to a parent where it is not satisfied that a child of compulsory age is receiving a suitable education (Section 437); andprovision for the prosecution of a parent who has failed to secure their child's regular attendance at school (Section 444).Statutory guidance requires local authorities to have robust procedures and policies in place to enable them to carry out their duty to identify children of compulsory school age in their area who are not receiving suitable education (Children Missing Education, 2015).Under the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006, schools have a duty to inform their local authority, at agreed intervals, of the details of pupils who are regularly absent from school or have missed 10 school days or more without permission. Schools must also notify the authority if a pupil is to be deleted from the admission register in certain circumstances.We are taking steps to ensure the system is as robust as it can be when it comes to protecting young people, while at the same time safeguarding the rights of parents to determine how and where to educate their children. The Department for Education is currently consulting on proposals to strengthen further the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 in order to require schools to inform local authorities under all grounds when a child’s name is deleted from a school register.

Politics: Education

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they intend to respond to the report by 4Children Britain's Families Thriving or Striving?, and in particular the surveyed views of young people aged 16–24 that they wanted more political education in schools.

Lord Nash: The new national curriculum includes an improved programme of study for citizenship education at key stages 3 and 4. The programme of study is designed to prepare pupils to play a full and active part in society and fosters political awareness. In citizenship lessons, pupils learn about democracy, government, and how laws are made and upheld. These lessons should equip pupils to explore political and social issues critically, to weigh evidence, to debate, and to make reasoned arguments.In partnership with youth organisations, the Cabinet Office has published a collection of democratic engagement learning resources developed in partnership with organisations such as UK Youth and Scottish Youth Parliament. They are designed to enable different groups, including young people and students, to discuss the importance of democratic participation and registering to vote. These learning resources, such as Rock Enrol!, are available to download for free and can be used in schools to encourage young people to participate in democracy and register to vote.

Civil Partnerships

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the legalisation of same-sex marriage, they intend to legislate to allow heterosexual couples who wish to form civil partnerships to do so, and if not, why not.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: In 2014, after the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 was passed, the government carried out a review of the operation and future of the Civil Partnership Act 2004, including a thorough public consultation on potential changes to civil partnership. Views were invited on three options: abolishing, or phasing out civil partnerships; or extending them to opposite sex couples.The review found that there was no clear consensus on the future of civil partnerships. A majority of respondents to the consultation were against extending civil partnerships to opposite sex couples and several important organisations thought it was too soon to consider making changes to civil partnerships until the impact of extending marriage to same sex couples is known. Given the lack of any consensus the Government has no current plans to make changes to the Civil Partnership Act 2004.On 29 January 2016, the High Court dismissed a legal challenge to the lack of availability of civil partnerships to opposite sex couples. The Court ruled unequivocally that the current regime of marriage and civil partnership does not disadvantage anyone nor does it infringe anyone’s right to family or private life. We also welcome the Court’s view that it is entirely reasonable for the Government to wait to see the impact of extending marriage to same sex couples before deciding on the way forward.

Ministry of Justice

Secure Training Centres: Labour Turnover

Lord Marks of Henley-on-Thames: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the turnover of basic grade custody staff in the G4S-run secure training centres of Medway, Oakhill and Rainsbrook over the last 12 months.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: The safety and welfare of young people in custody is vital and we take the allegations made by BBC Panorama extremely seriously. Immediate action was taken to ensure the safety of young people at the centre and Kent Police and Medway Council’s child protection team have launched an investigation. We have also appointed an Independent Improvement Board to increase oversight, scrutiny and challenge of managerial arrangements. The turnover rate of basic grade custody staff in G4S run secure training centres (STCs) is set out in Table 1. Table 1: Turnover rate of basic grade custody staff in G4S run STCs over the 12 months January to December 2015Staff Turnover Rainsbrook STC27%Oakhill STC30%Medway STC60%

The Lord Chairman of Committees

House of Lords: Catering

Lord Palmer: To ask the Chairman of Committees which members of House of Lords' staff are entitled to free food or refreshments in the House's facilities.

Lord Laming: Catering and Retail Services staff are provided with meals without charge during shifts, in accordance with arrangements made by the Head of Catering and Retail Services. This is standard practice in the hospitality industry.

Catering and Retail Services (HL)

Lord Palmer: To ask the Chairman of Committees what is the new role of the previous manager of Catering and Retail Services; what are his responsibilities; and to whom he reports.

Lord Laming: The postholder has been transferred to lead the Catering and Retail Services Change Programme on a full time basis until programme closure and then to embed its success into the Department’s business as usual activities. He reports to the Director of Facilities.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Arts: Children

Baroness Benjamin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the percentage of spending by Arts Council England that goes to supporting children's participation in the arts.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: A large number of arts and cultural organisations funded by Arts Council England work to ensure that all children get the opportunity to visit, experience and participate in arts and cultural activities. In 2012 –15, 65% of National Portfolio Organisations offered work for, by or with children and young people. During 2015-18 this number will increase to 82%. In addition to this, the Arts Council provide £10 million a year to fund a network of Bridge organisations and recently launched the Cultural Education Challenge. Both of these initiatives aim to link up the cultural and education sectors, to give children and young people access to great arts and cultural opportunities.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 27 January (HL5012), why that answer provided a reference to a Written Answer in the House of Commons given by the then Minister of State for the Department of Work and Pensions, Esther McVey, on 20 November 2014 on a different subject to the question asked; and whether they will now state what is the annual cost of the in-work benefits for EU workers.

Lord Freud: I apologise to the noble Lord for the incorrect answer to HL5012 this was due to an administrative error. The correct answer was given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Minister for Employment (Ms. Esther McVey) in the House of Commons on 20 November 2014 to Question number 211618 as below: While the Government checks the immigration status of benefit claimants to ensure the benefit is paid properly and to prevent fraud, traditionally that information has not been collected as part of the payment administrative systems.However, the Government is looking at ways to reform the current administrative system under Universal Credit so that it will systematically record nationality and immigration status of migrants who make a claim.The Government has made a radical series of changes over the last year to restrict the access by non-UK citizens from the European Economic Area to UK benefits and tax credits. This is in order to protect the UK’s benefit system and discourage people who have no established connection with the UK from moving here, unless they have a job or a genuine prospect of work, or have savings to support themselves until they do.

Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of EU immigrants were in receipt of benefit payments during the last two years for which figures are available.

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the cost of benefit payments to EU immigrants during the last two years for which data are available.

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of total annual benefit payments are paid to EU immigrants.

Lord Freud: The information on benefit receipt by nationality is not available. The Department has published statistics on working age benefit recipients claiming within 6 months of National Insurance Number (NINO) registration. This information is known as “Nationality at point of National Insurance number registration of DWP benefit claimants” and is included in the “Statistical Bulletin on National Insurance Number Allocations to Adult Overseas Nationals”. The Government is looking at ways to reform the current administrative system under Universal Credit so that it will systematically record nationality and immigration status of migrants who make a claim.

Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much is paid in benefits to claimants who are citizens of each of the 27 other EU member states, and how many such claimants there are from each of those countries.

Lord Freud: Information on benefit receipt by nationality is not available.The Department has published statistics on working age benefit recipients claiming within 6 months of National Insurance Number (NINO) registration. This information is known as “Nationality at point of National Insurance number registration of DWP benefit claimants” and is included in the “Statistical Bulletin on National Insurance Number Allocations to Adult Overseas Nationals”.The Government is looking at ways to reform the current administrative system under Universal Credit so that it will systematically record nationality and immigration status of migrants who make a claim.

Ministry of Defence

Reserve Forces: Training

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what military training is given to new reservists, and how that training compares to military training given to new recruits to the regular forces.

Earl Howe: Military training is provided for all new Reservists and the training provided is dependent on which of the Services they join. Detailed below are the specific training details for each Service: ROYAL NAVY Reservists new to the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) and the Royal Marines Reserve (RMR) undertake tailored training programmes that reflect as closely as possible that undertaken during Regular service initial (Phase 1) training. This is provided in a blended format consisting of; Marine Reserve unit training nights, engagement (currently only RNR) with material on a virtual learning environment hosted on the defence intranet gateway, a number of dedicated weekends which then lead to attendance on a two week Confirmation Course that allows the Reservist to pass out alongside their Regular counterparts at the relevant Naval Service Initial training establishment.For the RNR, that blended initial training develops Core Maritime Skills (CMS) and includes basic health and safety, learning to live together on a mess deck and in field conditions, basic fitness (including passing a swimming test), parade training, operating in the maritime environment, weapon handling, damage control and general naval knowledge. For the RMR, Unit training is focused on building physical endurance, whilst weekends develop Military Annual Training Test (MATT) skills for operating in field conditions and includes basic field admin, harbour routines, field craft and navigation, and patrolling. Throughout initial training the RNR and RMR are tested to the same basic standards as their regular counterparts and on successful completion are awarded the same competencies.Potential RNR Officers must pass the Admiralty Interview Board (AIB) before commencing RNR Initial Naval Training (INT). Their first year (RNR INT 1A) is a similar programme to RNR Ratings, which build CMS and the fundamentals of being an officer prior to a Pre-assessment weekend ahead of attending the two weeks RNR Officers Confirmation Course at the Britannia Royal Naval College. Their second year (RNR INT1B) focuses on developing Command, Leadership and Management as well as three weekends and two weeks at sea on a RN warship. Completion of RNR Officers INT is achieved by gaining a pass at the RNR Fleet Board. In their third year of training, RNR Junior Officers undertake the Divisional Officers Course and Junior Officers Leadership 1 Course. Attendees can select to undertake either the RN version of these courses or RNR versions (run at weekends). Aspiring RMR Officers will have come through RMR Other Ranks training to gain their Green Beret before attending AIB. On successful completion and in the following two years they will undertake four two-week training packages alongside their regular counterparts at Commando Training Centre Royal Marines. In-unit training (drill nights and weekends) is a significant part of the development programme to build RMR and Officer ethos and completion of officer training is signified by successful assessment of their training log. ARMYThose seeking a commission as an officer with the Army Reserve and who pass the Army Officer Selection Board undertake the Army Reserve Commissioning Course at Sandhurst. This consists of four two-week modules, the first two of which can be taken in other ways (e.g. through a University Officer Training Corps).The training provided to new members of the Army Reserve is broadly similar in design to that of their Regular counterparts and shares much of the resources, facilities and equipment available for Regular training. Both Reserve and Regular recruits undertake initial ‘Phase 1’ training in order to become effective soldiers and then proceed to ‘Phase 2’ training, where they receive the specific training they need to carry out their defined role.The first part of initial training for the Army Reserve is known as Phase 1 (Alpha) and is delivered over four training weekends at one of the nine regional Army Training Units, or in a single week-long consolidated period, usually at one of the Army Training Regiments, where Regular recruits also undergo their Phase 1 training. The second part is known as Phase 1 (Bravo) and is delivered at an Army Training Unit by regular instructors over a period of 16 days.Phase 2 role-specific training is undertaken at the same training locations as Regular Phase 2 training. Infantry training is carried out at Infantry Training Centre, Catterick through the Combat Infantryman’s Course (Reserves.) ROYAL AIRFORCE (RAF) For the RAF Reserves, new recruits undertake four weekends of basic military education and training on their units before attending a two week residential course at RAF Halton where they train alongside regular recruits at the Recruit Training Centre. This is referred to as Phase 1 training. Regular recruits undertake a 10 week course.For the Reservists who will undergo officer training, on completion of the course at RAF Halton, training continues at RAF College Cranwell which consists of four weekends and a two week residential course.On completion of the Phase 1 course recruits undertake trade specific training referred to as Phase 2. The delivery of Phase 2 to Regulars is through a variety of courses on the training schools taking different lengths of time depending on the Trade. For Reservists, professional training is delivered through a mixed economy of on unit training and modular training at training schools. Over time the modular training builds the Reservist to the same trained standard as the Regular. All Reservist training is designed, delivered and accredited in the same way as Regular trade training.

Reserve Forces: Recruitment

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recruitment incentives are given to new reservists in (1) the army, (2) the Royal Navy, and (3) the Royal Air Force, and what is the total cost of those incentives.

Earl Howe: We have made a number of improvements to ensure we reach our target strength of 35,000 trained volunteer Reservists by 31 March 2019. Central to this is an improved offer, which includes better training, better equipment, improved remuneration and an improved experience for Reservists. We have also widened the opportunity for Reservists to contribute on operations. As a result, more Reservists are joining either as new entrants to the military, or with prior experience either in the Regulars or in the Reserves.Each of the Services has financial recruiting incentives for its Reserves. For new (ab initio) joiners, the Army and the Royal Navy have Officer recruitment and retention incentives worth a total of £5,000 per person; payments are staged and triggered by completion of specific training milestones. For Other Ranks, the Army has a staged scheme for new joiners worth a total of £2,300 per person.In addition, the Army and the Royal Air Force (RAF) run a Commitment Bonus scheme which provides staged payments totalling up to £10,000 to ex-Regular personnel providing they meet a set of entry criteria relating to rank, length of Regular Service, levels of training, medical status and training obligations once serving in the Reserve. For details of payments made by the Army, I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Reserves, in the House of Commons on 23 March 2015 to Question 228297.http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-03-18/228297/



Army Reserve
(Word Document, 17.66 KB)

Armed Forces

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the size of the armed forces on 31 December in (1) 2009, (2) 2010, (3) 2011, (4) 2012, (5) 2013, (6) 2014, and (7) 2015.

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many reservists there were in the armed forces on 31 December in (1) 2009, (2) 2010, (3) 2011, (4) 2012, (5) 2013, (6) 2014, and (7) 2015.

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many regulars there were in the armed forces on 31 December in (1) 2009, (2) 2010, (3) 2011, (4) 2012, (5) 2013, (6) 2014, and (7) 2015.

Earl Howe: The information is not held in the format requested. However, the table below shows the total number of UK Forces Service personnel, the number of Regular personnel and the number of Volunteer Reserve personnel as at 1 April each year for the years 2009 to 2015. Prior to 1 April 2012 statistics for UK Forces Service Personnel were not held in a format suitable to answer the question. However some of this information is available on line at the following link: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/personnel/military/quarterly-personnel-report   UK FORCES SERVICE PERSONNEL2UK REGULAR FORCES3VOLUNTEER RESERVE11 April 2009..188,60034,790 e1 April 2010..191,71033,490 e1 April 2011..186,36031,260 e1 April 2012221,330179,80031,3101 April 2013211,340170,71030,3601 April 2014198,810159,63028,8601 April 2015195,690153,72031,260 Volunteer Reserve includes mobilised volunteer reserves, High Readiness Reserves and those volunteer reserves serving on Full Time Reserve Service and Additional Duties Commitments, Non Regular Permanent Staff and Expeditionary Forces Institute. Sponsored Reserves and University Officer Cadets are excluded. UK Forces Service Personnel comprises UK Regular Forces, Gurkhas, Military Provost Guard Service, Locally Engaged Personnel, Volunteer Reserve, Serving Regular Reserve, Sponsored Reserve, and FTRS of unknown origin. University Officer Cadets are excluded. Unless otherwise stated, includes trained and untrained personnel. UK Regular Forces Full-time trained and untrained personnel and excludes Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) and reservists. Rounding Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10, though numbers ending in a “5” have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent the systematic bias caused by always rounding numbers upwards. Symbolse – estimate.. – Not Available

Department for Communities and Local Government

Social Rented Housing

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for new or additional housing to which single and other occupants of existing hostels could move; what assessment they have made of the plans of London boroughs, and others, to provide such housing; and when they expect that additional housing to be completed.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: This Government is committed to increasing the supply of housing. We have doubled our plans for affordable housing delivery from 2018-19 to £8 billion, to deliver 400,000 affordable housing starts.It is the responsibility of local authorities to plan and assess the likely housing needs for their areas as part of the process for bringing forward a Local Development Plan. Our planning guidance asks local planning authorities to factor in market signals such as household affordability and land prices, as well as forecast employment trends when calculating their overall housing need. The primary objective of identifying need is to identify the future quantity of housing needed, including a breakdown by type, tenure and size.

Housing: Construction

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many new housing developments were built in the period 2010 to 2015 against advice given by the Environment Agency.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The information requested is not collected by the Department. The Environment Agency’s most recent report ‘Managing flood and coastal erosion risks in England’ indicates that between April 2011 and March 2015, over 99 per cent of proposed new homes had planning outcomes in line with Environment Agency advice where they had objected because of concerns about flood risk and had been made aware of the decision.

Housing: Floods

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the recent extensive flooding, they intend to review the sections of the planning practice guidance relating to flood risk.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Our planning guidance is clear that councils need to consider the strict tests set out in national planning policy, and where these are not met, new development on flood risk sites should not be allowed. These tests, set out in the National Planning Policy Framework, are designed to protect people and property from flooding and give councils the robust ability to reject inappropriate planning applications.Councils are expected to avoid inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding by directing development away from areas at highest risk, including floodplains. Where development is necessary, it must be demonstrated that it is safe and will not increase flood risk elsewhere.We are always looking to see what lessons can be learned and what changes should be considered including how local councils plan for development, where they allow building and the account they take of the strict tests set out in national policy to protect people and property from flooding.My rt. hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Oliver Letwin), has already announced that he will chair a National Flood Resilience Review to assess how the country and our communities can be better protected from future flooding and extreme weather events. Additionally, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Elizabeth Truss), has announced that the new Cumbria Floods Partnership group will consider and identify what additional flood protection measures may be needed in Cumbria.

Floods: Cumbria

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to meet the excess costs of flood repair and renewal in Cumbria centrally, and if not, why not.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government is working closely with Cumbria, and other local authorities, who have been affected by Storms Desmond and Eva. We have pledged around £200 million to help those affected by the floods to support the recovery and repair of local communities. To date the Department for Communities and Local Government has issued £18 million to Cumbria through the Community and Business Recovery Scheme, Council Tax Discount Scheme and Business Rate Relief Scheme. Other Departments are also providing financial assistance.

Council Tax Reduction Schemes

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much council tax support funding has been passed from billing authorities to parish and town councils in 2013–14, 2014–15, and 2015–16.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The amount of Local Council Tax Support funding being passed on from billing authorities to parish and town council was £39,033,000 in 2013-14 and £31,108,000 in 2014-15. The Department does not hold figures for 2015-16.

English Language: Education

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 28 January (HL5309), what assessment they have made of whether it will be legally possible to restrict their community-based language training offer to Muslim women.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The new English language scheme will not just be restricted to Muslim women. It will reach tens of thousands of the most isolated women and will be targeted to specific communities based on Louise Casey’s on-going review into integration in England.

Community Relations

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 28 January (HL5309), what is included in the Department for Communities and Local Government’s current Integration Programme; what is that Programme's budget, and to what areas of work and projects it is allocated; which are the six community projects which have been funded; and what is the procedure for assessing their outcomes.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government’s approach to integration was set out in "Creating the Conditions for Integration" published on 21 February 2012 which is available at the Department's website (attached) at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/7504/2092103.pdf.Since 2010, we have provided over £50 million to support integration projects, including £8 million over three years to support the six community-based English language projects delivered by e3, Faith Action, the Local Education Authorities Forum for the Education of Adults, Manchester City Council, TimeBank, and the Tinder Foundation. Each organisation receiving funding has a grant agreement against which it is monitored to ensure that agreed outcomes and milestones are met.



Creating the Conditions for Integration
(PDF Document, 237.44 KB)

Wales Office

Public Sector: Sustainable Development

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions have taken place with the Welsh Government about the benefits of the Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, and in particular about a duty on all public bodies to carry out sustainable development being adopted across the UK.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: None.The Government is strengthening environmental protection by developing a 25 year framework for a healthy, diverse and resilient natural environment. We are also supporting the delivery of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in the UK and will continue to take a leading role in championing the SDGs internationally.We recognise the inter-dependent nature of our economy, environment and communities. Government Departments will continue to consider and seek to improve the impact on all three areas when developing their policies in line with HMT’s Green Book Guidance.

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of holding a referendum in June on the UK's membership of the EU on the elections to the National Assembly for Wales.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: As the Prime Minister has consistently said, what will determine the timing of the referendum is the outcome of the negotiation. The only deadline we have set is to hold the referendum by the end of 2017. The Government has made no decisions on the date, except to specifically rule out holding it on 5 May 2016 or 4 May 2017. As the Foreign Secretary has said – ultimately, the decision will be made by the House, as the date will be decided by a statutory instrument brought before it.

Scotland Office

East Coast Railway Line: Scotland

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent discussions they have had with the Scottish Government about the future electrification of the East Coast Main Line between Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

Lord Dunlop: UK and Scottish Government officials have regular discussions regarding transport policy, and the rail industry is undertaking studies to identify the best value cases for further route electrification in Scotland, England and Wales. The introduction of bi-mode intercity express trains on East Coast Scottish services from 2018 is expected to help the business case for electrification between Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Tidal Power: Swansea Bay

Baroness Featherstone: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect work to commence on the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: On 10 February the Government announced that it will commission an independent review to assess the strategic case for tidal lagoons and whether they could represent good value for consumers. We anticipate that the review will be completed in the autumn.The Government is currently in the first phase of a Contract for Difference negotiation with the developer of the proposed Swansea Bay tidal lagoon project. At present there is no timeframe for how long the negotiation process may take. The timeframe depends on a number of factors, many of which would be outside the control of the Department.The work programme and the construction timetable for the proposed lagoon are matters for the developer.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Floods: Insurance

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what independent research is being carried out on the availability and affordability of flood insurance for small businesses in flood affected areas.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: We have recently published a report, carried out on our behalf by Ipsos MORI that considers the availability of flood insurance for small businesses in areas of high flood risk. The study found that uptake of insurance in small and medium sized businesses is high, with 95% of businesses having commercial insurance cover and only 2.5% reporting any difficulties in accessing insurance. The report is available on-line on the science and research section of Defra’s website, under the heading “Affordability and Availability of Flood Insurance – FD2688”. We continue to keep this important issue under review.

Department of Health

NHS: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have refused to disclose legal advice regarding the impact of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership on the NHS.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Government considered the information referred to be exempt from release on the basis that it is subject to legal professional privilege.

Tobacco

Lord Palmer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 3 December 2015 (HL3859), which tobacco measures introduced in the last 10 years they have reviewed in respect of their effectiveness; what have been the results of those reviews; and whether they will place those measures and their reviews in the Library of the House.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Department assesses the impact of tobacco control measures on an ongoing basis as it develops policy and considers new measures. In September 2013, the Department published An Audit of the impact of the Department of Health’s Regulations upon business. A copy of the report is attached. The Audit report covered all regulations for which the Department has responsibility believed to have a potential cost to business, including those relating to tobacco control. Costs and benefits were estimated where possible using standard government methodology and the impacts to society were estimated based on economic costs and benefits. As advised in the report, there is a robust cost-benefit case for the tobacco control regulations considered and experience shows that initiatives to reduce smoking prevalence work best in combination, with cumulative effects over time. 



Audit of the impact of DH regulations
(PDF Document, 950.61 KB)

World Health Organisation: Treaties

Lord Palmer: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 8 December 2015 (HL3862), what legal basis the World Health Organization's treaties have in English law.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Where the United Kingdom is party to a treaty which is in force, the United Kingdom government must comply, as a matter of international law, with its obligations under the treaty in good faith. This is required by the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. Where a particular obligation under a treaty has not been implemented in domestic legislation it does not directly form part of English law and the English courts do not have jurisdiction to apply it. However, there is also a strong presumption in the common law that all domestic legislation will, where possible, be interpreted so as to ensure that the United Kingdom is acting compatibly with its treaty obligations.

Prosthetics

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on patients of the decision by NHS England to refuse funding for micro-processor knees.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the decision by NHS England to refuse funding for micro-processor knees is consistent with its Five Year Forward View, which states that the NHS needs to adapt to take advantage of the opportunities that science and technology offer patients and carers.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS England has not refused to fund micro-processor knees. A revised policy proposal for the routine commissioning of microprocessor controlled knees was considered by NHS England’s expert Clinical Priorities Advisory Group which recommended its adoption for routine commissioning. The proposal was then considered by NHS England’s Specialised Commissioning Oversight Group at its meeting on 9 December 2015 where it was agreed that NHS England would support this service development as a possible call on its resources. However given the potential scale of investment and the need to consider its priority relative to other treatments which would also have a possible call on the specialised commissioning resources it was decided that the policy should go forward for consideration as part of NHS England's next annual prioritisation round in June 2016.

Bladder Cancer

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the BCG vaccine treatment of bladder cancer.

Lord Prior of Brampton: We have made no such assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent body responsible for providing best practice guidance for the National Health Service. NICE published a clinical guideline in February 2015 on the diagnosis and management of bladder cancer which outlines the circumstances in which the Bacille Calmette‑Guérin (BCG) vaccine should be used to treat bladder cancer. A copy of the clinical guideline is attached. A bladder cancer quality standard was also published by NICE in December 2015 which refers to BCG treatment for bladder cancer. A copy of the quality standard is attached.



Bladder Cancer NICE Guideline
(PDF Document, 196.85 KB)




Bladder Cancer Quality Standard
(PDF Document, 140.99 KB)

NHS: Drugs

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what specific steps they will take to ensure that the review of the statutory scheme for branded medicines takes into account the specificities of medicines derived from human blood plasma, in the light of the Council of Europe resolution on principles concerning human normal immunoglobulin therapies for immunodeficiency and other diseases (CM/RES(2015)2).

Lord Prior of Brampton: We are continuing to consider carefully all the consultation responses including those that refer to blood plasma products. It is important we get these changes right for patients, the National Health Service and industry. We want to look in particular at the impact on small and medium sized businesses, while securing the medicines patients need at a cost which the NHS can afford.